Working with Candy for the smart home

4 July 2018

industry

We have launched an open innovation project to develop new services and scout the best startups in the smart home appliances market.

Our homes are getting smarter, as they fill with "intuitive" appliances that can recommend the best recipe for dinner of the most efficient washing program: this is the future of the smart home according to Candy Group, which is constantly looking for qualified partners to develop new product innovations.

The smart home and IoT industry is on the rise globally. In Italy, it reported a turnover of €250 million in 2017, growing by 35% compared to the previous year (research Osservatorio Internet Of Things). According to Zion Market Research, this market is expected to reach around $53.45 billion by 2022.

In recent years, Candy Group has become a leader in connectivity applied to household appliances and in the sale of smart appliances, where it holds 61% of the market share in Europe. The Group has chosen to start an open innovation project with us to integrate new features to its appliances, by relying on the most innovative international startups.

By leveraging on our 13-year network, we evaluated 200 international startups based on Candy's needs: taking advantage of new technologies such as AI and image and voice recognition to make domestic life simpler. On July 11, the 10 selected startups will take part in the Candy Connection Event in our campus and will present their solutions to the Group's top management.